


Crisis

by Patatarte



Series: The Cow Crew [15]
Category: cowchop, fakechop - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 14:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12061314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patatarte/pseuds/Patatarte
Summary: Something is wrong with them, and they have to talk about it





	Crisis

James gets quickly in the car and lets out a breathless laugh. Aleks drives them away with the speed of a madman and it’s even too much given the situation. James doesn’t realize it at first, too busy cleaning the blood away from his cow mask but when he lifts his eyes up, he frowns.

“What are you doing, man, we’re in the clear !”

Aleks almost snorts a laugh, but just almost. His grip on the steering wheel turns his knuckles white and James frowns even more at that.

“Are you okay ?” his worry is geniune, tonight was kinda rough and maybe Aleks was more injuried than he thought.

“we can’t keep doing that shit.” Aleks’ voice cracked more than he intended it to.

“What do you mean ?”

His so-often-loud voice is low, and Aleks almost wants to back off what he’s about to say. They are going further from the warehouse, and Aleks hopes Asher doesn’t care enough tonight to call them and ask what’s going on. Before James opens his mouth for another question, Aleks almost screams.

“When we started the whole criminal shit, it was like "haha, you dumb shit, you almost killed yourself this time !” But dude, it happens too much now, and my brain can’t take it, I feel like I’m gonna implode from stress ! I can’t fucking do this every fucking days, are you kidding me ?“

The thing is, yeah of course Aleksandr likes doing that kind of shit, he loves it even ! But not like that, not too much and unplanned all the time, it lets too much place for accidents. He knows that James cares, but he always cares after the harm is done. Aleks on the other hand never really expressed any care at any moment, of course he tells when he is stressed up and feels like things are gonna go down, but he always go anyways.

"What, you mean you care, Aleksandr ?” James’ tone is making fun of the situation, and Aleks doesn’t know if he wants to push the brake or speed up even more.

“Of fucking course I care, dude ! I always cared ! I mean fuck, Trevor got injured last week and he’s terrified of going on the field now, and they almost got Joe too ! I could have died today, you could have died, James !”

James says nothing, looking at his feet for a long moment and he finaly shrugs when he realizes that Aleks stopped the car in the middle of the road, looking at him and having none of that shit.  
“We can’t keep it that way, we’re gonna die in the year if we do that, and only if we’re lucky.”

Aleks isn’t really used to James being silent, and he doesn’t know what to do. They are a family, the crew is a family and they have nobody else really, but they are slowly burning themselves away.

“I just don’t wanna die, man.”

The sudden fury that lights in James eyes is here just enough for him to say through his teeth what can be raw emotions.

“You think I want to ? You think I want any of you to die ?

\- No, I..Fucking no, I know you don’t, but…Come on, James, what are we doing ?”

Nobody is on that dirt road at the end of the city, not at this hour. Aleks gets out of the car and lights a cig, watching the horizon and the rising moon. The door stays open and he is lucky to hear what James answer is.

“I dunno, man. Feels so alive when we do that kind of things. The rush makes me feel alive, when sometimes I feel like I’m not…You know ?”

He stops here and Aleks turns around to face him. He says nothing, throws the unfinished cig and comes back in. James looks away now, he doesn’t wanted to say too much but by the look of Aleks, the harm is done, or that’s what he thinks. A warm and slightly wet hand goes on his shoulder, resting here, a small pat, reassurance.

“Let’s go back.”

The car starts again just after, driving back to the warehouse in an almost silent ride. Aleks hums some catchy song that goes on the radio all the time, and James smiles a bit at how awful it is when they bump into something on the road and his voice cracks a bit, making him cough.

The warehouse is dark, Anna went home already and Brett isn’t here this week. Joe is taking care of the dogs while listening to Trevor talking about a game he loves. Asher has headphones on, doing some obscure things on computer while watching the duo enters via a small window in his screen.

James and Aleks feel so exhausted.

When Joe walks toward them to know why they went away, Aleks grabs him and hugs him there, without a warning, nothing. Asher immediatly puts down the headphone and wakes from his chair, Trevor frowns from the couch, a little worried.

“James, come here.”

Aleks’ arm flail around until he grabs James’ shirt and he’s into the hug too. It’s weird, they’ve never done that, or not in such a strange mood. Of course hugs happen but mostly when you are fucking glad you stole jewlery and money, but that’s far from the situation.

“Trevor !”

The young man walks slowly and grab them in a giant hug, awkward and unsure of what’s going on, but not refusing rare kindness.

“Asher.  
\- I pass dude.  
\- Asher, come and give a fucking hug”

The hacker walks small steps and pats his hand on Trevor’s shoulder for a second before just standing there, watching until the hug stops.

“You okay there, dudes ?”

Joe is smilling but clearly worried. Aleks puts his arm around his small shoulders and nods. James is still silent and his smile is almost a ghost, but it’s here.

“You want to play some cards or games ?”

Aleks asking that after a night out is out of the blue and strange, and nobody answers for a second before Trevor finaly talks in a small voice.

“Actually I could play some mario kart ?”

And it’s what they do. Aleks sits on the ground against the couch and he watches his friends play. It’s awkward at first, the tension being clear, but the game eventually gets them to loosen up a bit. Treasons are made, alliances for the victory, confusion because Joe seems in another plane of existence but still drives in this one.

Aleks laughs and stands up to get a fresh beer, it’s not far away but it feels like it. It’s colder and darker, and makes Aleks think of what tomorow will be made of. He’s not done talking with James, in fact he’s sure they’ll talk the night away in here but it has to be.

They need to take a step back from the chaos and stay a little in that sweet little nest, do the job they are supposed to do as a dog shelter, and play games with their friends in the evening. James laughs, they all do, but James is always the loudest. They can’t loose that.


End file.
